Restaurants in Newton

No matter what country her family was living in at the time, Longteine “Nyep” De Monteiro—the wife of a Cambodian diplomat—always heard the same thing when she served dinner at one of her lavish parties: “This is so good! You should open a restaurant!” It wasn't until the rise of the Khmer Rouge forced Longteine and her family to relocate to America that she began to seriously entertain the idea. Longteine finally opened The Elephant Walk in 1991, where she filled the menu with a mélange of her favorite Cambodian and French recipes.

Since then, Longteine’s daughter Nasda and her son-in-law Gerard Lopez helped her expand The Elephant Walk to three locations. All three Elephant Walks separate their kitchens into French and Cambodian preparation lines, each staffed with chefs adept at both traditional and contemporary dishes. Each dish makes meticulous use of flavorful, wholesome ingredients such as ripe plum tomatoes, fresh tuna, Vermont goat cheese, and organic tofu. The Elephant Walk also serves up a host of vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free variants.

The Elephant Walk loves to feed the mind as much as the mouth. During its regularly scheduled Cafe Science series, Brandeis professors deliver compelling lectures on a variety of topics from the Large Hadron Collider to explaining why science alone cannot turn water into chocolate milk. As part of the restaurant's mission to make a positive impact in the community, owner Bob Perry designated the Waltham location as The Elephant Walk’s Benefit Restaurant in September 2009. The restaurant has since given upwards of $180,000 to local, national, and international nonprofit organizations fighting poverty.

Inside Chez Henri, owner and chef Paul O’Connell draws on his training at Johnson & Wales University to add Caribbean flourishes to classic French fare, earning his restaurant press accolades and seven Best of Boston awards. Appetizers include braised wild-boar sausage served over cabbage escabeche, and the pan-seared flounder entree arrives with house-made chorizo and West Indian spices. Wash down international flavors with signature cocktails and spirits or a pitcher of fruity sangria from the full bar.

Inside Chez Henri’s simply decorated dining room, handblown glass lighting illuminates warmly colored walls, and huge windows proffer views of the bustling streets between Harvard and Porter Squares. Paul and his staff also transport their delicate fare to catered events of up to 400 people, such as weddings, graduations, or the shared birthday of an NFL team made by cloning Joe Montana.

SoulFire Barbeque’s chefs fashion succulent entrees and sandwiches around tender cuts of hickory-smoked ribs, pork, and chicken accompanied to the table by classic Southern sides. Each day begins when chefs load the smoker with choice cuts of meat that spent the previous night marinating in dry rubs or special brines to infuse them with flavor and keep them juicy and moist. Pork shoulders, briskets, and ribs can spend up to 16 hours tenderizing in the grill, as the barbecue pros keep a watchful eye on each succulent selection, pulling it out just as the meat starts to pull away from the bone but before it has a total change of heart. Chefs then dress each dish in a choice of barbecue sauces from around the nation, from the peppery, vinegar-laden notes favored in North Carolina to the tomato-heavy flavors beloved in Kansas City.

While they soak up extra sauce with a side of house-made cornbread, diners can revel in the sound of owner Wyeth Lynch’s other passion––soul music. Lending an air of authenticity to the restaurant’s Memphis–inspired vibe, the sultry grooves are left on 24 hours a day at the request of the marinating meats, which take inspiration from the tender croonings of Al Green.

Patrons at Gari Japanese Fusion Restaurant snag sleek metallic seats in a modern, trendy space. Beneath the undulating canopy of a black-and-white sushi bar, chefs slice and chop fresh sushi and sashimi, including specialty rolls with names such as Black Pearl, Lady in Red, and Crazy Monkey. Cooked dishes such as stir-fried noodles, teriyaki, and tempura imbue meals with sweet and tangy flavors. Fusion fare such as tuna carpaccio rounds out meals with piquant spices and insightful commentary on international affairs.

Owner and head chef of Viva Mexican Grill and Tequileria, Carlos Mendez grew up in Mexico watching his mother and aunts as they concocted labor-intensive food without batting an eye. He would even venture off to the countryside to collect any wild mushrooms they might need. Now at his restaurant, he keeps his culinary traditions alive with his menu of Central Mexican cuisine. Fresh guacamole made table-side prepare palates for forthcoming entrees. Handmade masa pancakes topped with queso fresco join slow-cooked pork carnitas and tricolor plates of chilis en nogada with creamy walnut sauce. Thirteen types of margaritas and chilled coladas and daiquiris cool tongues coated in hot spices.

The festive decor of earthy deep blues, red clay tiles and adobe-colored walls also pays tribute to his homeland, as does a mariachi band. These musicians rove between tables, serenading diners with romantic string and vocal harmonies and the occasional rap battle.

Leaning on more than 35 years of experience championing French cuisine, Sandrine's Bistro's co-owner and chef, Raymond Ost, brings the same blend of classic and contemporary flavors to Cambridge that earned him knighthood from the French government. According to the Boston Globe, Chef Ost began his culinary career at 13 with an apprenticeship in Alsace, France. Today, many of Sandrine's menu items hail from and are inspired by the region, such as traditional tarte flambées made with crispy flatbread and nutmeg-scented fromage blanc. A fireplace flickers off the zinc bar where mixologists craft specialty cocktails, pour wine, and blend liquors from an extensive bar menu. The decor is elegant, with white-draped tables popping against deep-burgundy pillars and sage walls. Chandelier light enlivens an avant-garde mirror divided into geometric shapes, and sumptuous draperies remind diners to pick their togas up from the dry cleaner.